Look After You
by Julia101
Summary: *Third in Series - Following 'Dangerously in Love' and 'Life Like This'* What a difference four years make. Back then Alex and Mason's life together was just beginning - they were going to get married and have a baby. How did everything go so wrong?
1. Prologue

**I've attempted to do the third one in this series for a long time but I think I finally have it**. **Review if you want the story to continue**

* * *

**Prologue  
**

Four years.

That's 48 months, 208 weeks, 1460 days, 35040 hours, 2102400 seconds.

* * *

**Alex**

A lot can happen in four years. You can get engaged to the boy you love more than anything in the world and find out you're pregnant with his child. You can get married in a cute little chapel and have a baby, who is everything you ever wanted but never knew. You can attend art school like you've always dreamed; buy a house with the white picket fence and have a dog in the backyard, yapping as your son chases it around. You can believe that the fairy tale ending is possible because, hell you deserve it after all you've been through. You can believe that the sacrifices you've made will make it all worthwhile, and that you'll live happily ever after. Because you've seen miracles happen before, you know magic exists everywhere around you and the happy ending is possible.

You can watch all of your hopes and dreams die in a single moment, burn to the ground right in front of you.

You can lose everything.

* * *

**Justin**

A lot can happen in four years. You can win back the girl you're meant to be with and love her fiercely. You can get down on one knee and ask her to marry you and she can make you happier than you ever thought you could be. You can attend medical school, pass with honours and learn to save lives. You can feel like your own life has meaning because of the work you do and the people you love, and that you never needed magic to feel the holes in your life. You can learn you never needed it to feel special because you have everything you could ever need. You can move out of the city, find a quiet little place where you hope one day you can raise a family of your own.

You can appreciate what you have so much more when someone you love loses their everything.

You can realise you can't save everyone.

* * *

**Christian**

A lot can happen in four years. You can get over someone you thought you'd never get over. You can meet a girl on the street that becomes very special to you. You can become an uncle to a little boy you absolutely adore. You can act on your passion for justice and become a police officer. You can love spending time with your brother, nephew and sister-in-law and being a part of a family, something you've never really had before. You can love being human, love the feeling of growing up, moving forward instead of always being fixed in the same spot. You can look back on your life as a mythical creature fondly but regret the mistakes you've made in the past and rectify them by standing for fairness and righteousness while defending the city.

You can be left to pick up the pieces of the family your brother left behind.

You can be left feeling utterly empty.

* * *

**Mason**

A lot can happen in four years. You can ask the most beautiful girl in the world to marry you and by some miracle, she can say yes. You can find out she's carrying your baby and not find enough words to describe your elation. You can get married in a small ceremony while the people you have grown to love watch. You can feel your newborn baby wrap his tiny fingers around one of yours and wonder how you could have possibly made something so tiny and precious. You can fulfil another of your dreams and become an architect. You can enjoy being able to spend full moons with your wife and taking your son to the park. You can feel excited instead of apprehensive about the future, because there should be nothing stopping you two growing old together.

You can sacrifice yourself to save your son and wife because they've given you more than you could have ever asked for.

You can disappear forever.


	2. Chapter 1

**Was bored one night and remembered this story. I know I haven't updated in a while, I've just been so busy and I kind of forgot about it. But I managed to finish this chapter and hopefully this will hold you over :)**

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**Chapter 1**

**Chase**

When I was little, I wasn't fazed about the fact that I had a nonexistent father in my life. All I knew was that he wasn't alive anymore and I was alright with this fact for the most part.

In my first six years on the planet, I'd established that my family consisted of me, Mom, Uncle Christian and my cousin Lily, and I was quite happy with that. Beyond that was Grandpa and Grandma and my other uncles, aunties and cousins but we didn't see them very often. It wasn't because Mom and I didn't love them, it's just she didn't like being reminded of that life. We saw them frequently when I was younger but Mom was never the same after everything happened so we just…..faded out. Like figures in the background of a picture.

On my first day of school, we went around the class and introduced ourselves and talked about our lives; our families, pets, things we liked to do.  
And as I listened, I realised…..what I had wasn't considered normal. Everyone else had one mom, one dad, or even two of each, some had siblings and pets. But none of them were like me. None of them lived with their mother, uncle and cousin in a tiny flat. I felt more alone in that classroom than I ever had.

It was rare to see photos of my Dad around the house but when I would stumble over one, I would stash it under my pillow to keep Mom from destroying it. Every night, I went to sleep and it was like he was with me. When it was time for show and tell, I brought my favourite photo of him; it was one of him holding a baby, presumably me and it was the only memory I had, even if I couldn't remember it.

I didn't find out that the baby in the picture wasn't me until five years later.

* * *

**Alex**

"Alex? Alex, please talk to me. You can't, you can't just ignore me forever."

Watch me, I thought, dragging the brush in my hand through my mess of dark hair mindlessly; it did nothing to displace the massive knots that had formed over the four hours of sleep last night, amid more hours of bawling and shaking uncontrollably in Christian's arms.

"We have to go Alex." I felt Christian's hand slip into mine, his fingers twisting in between my own. I finally allowed the hairbrush to drop gently onto the mattress and lifted my eyes to look into his coal black eyes. I tried to imagine they were lighter, warmer. I tried to imagine they were Mason's eyes as I stared at him. "It's time."

Time for what? Time to accept that I'll never see my husband again, hold him, kiss him? What part was I to look forward to? What part of that wasn't going to tear me even more apart?

He stood up from the bed, pulling me upright as well and reeling me into his arms in a smooth quick motion. I buried my face in Christian's broad chest, careful not to spill any tears onto his dapper black suit. I felt his lips press against my hairline in a fleeting kiss before I pulled back, swivelling out of his grip.

"I'll meet you downstairs," I heard him whisper quietly, and then he left.

When I finally descended down the stairs, everyone stared at me, like they were afraid I was going to snap any minute or break down.

Christian nodded reassuringly at me from the bottom of the stairs. He raised a hand and smoothed it over his newly cut hair. He had insisted I cut his wavy hair, that had been out of control for the past few months and now he looked like he had been given a haircut by a child.

But he didn't seem to mind, or if he did, he hadn't complained yet.

"Mommy!" My head turned sharply, following the all too familiar noise. In my Mother's arms, Mitchell was fidgeting manically, reaching for me. He had been chucked into a white shirt and black pants by my mother and looked perennially uncomfortable. His light brown hair had been combed back and his face scrubbed clean.

I had to look away from him, my heart hurting. He looked too much like Mason: the hair, the beautiful brown eyes, the dimples in the cheeks, the face with too much innocence and naivety...God it was killing me.

"Mommy!" Mitchell demanded impatiently, squirming furiously. My Mother finally put him down and he toddled over to me.

I held my arms out automatically, lifting him up like a reflex. I kissed his cheek and he grabbed my nose with his tiny fingers, honking it like a horn. I tried a smile and it managed to stay on my face for longer than a second.

"Where we going?" he asked, with those wide eyes of his. I could tell he was a bit confused by the whole situation. Practically the whole family was here – Mom, Dad, Justin, Juliet, Harper, Zeke, Max and his girlfriend Taylor, and Christian. All of us were hardly ever together all at the same time and when we were, it was never this quiet or solemn. Russo gatherings always ended up with shouting matches on the terrace or food on the ceiling.

"We're going for a walk," I answered weakly. How could I explain a funeral to a three year old?

"Where's Daddy?" he asked, stroking my cheek.

Without a second glance, I handed him off to Christian, who had appeared at my side instantly.

"Daddy's not here buddy," I heard Christian say as she turned on her heel and exited the loft. "But it's going to be alright."

* * *

**Justin**

When Alex left, I tried to chase after her but Juliet held me back, her arm linking with mine.

"Let her go," she whispered and I didn't resist, despite how much I wanted to.

"She hasn't said a word to me in the last two weeks since...since it happened," I said quietly as we all started the procession out of the loft. I remembered being younger and wishing for Alex to just leave me alone sometimes. Now I would give anything for her to just open her mouth, even if it was to just tease me. But it looked like I would be waiting a while.

"She's just hurting," Juliet told me and I just nodded absentmindedly. But I knew it was more than that. Alex was distinctly avoiding talking to me and I knew why, no matter how much Juliet tried to tell me otherwise.

"She's just..." I struggled for the right word, "...Unrecognisable."

Juliet leaned her head on my shoulder. "Grief changes a person."

Up ahead, Mitchell had laid his head down on Christian's shoulder, staring back at all of us behind him as he was carried out. He was grieving the loss of his father and he didn't even know it. And I wondered whether Alex had enough heart left to really explain it to him.

* * *

**Alex**

Raindrops splashed my cheeks as we walked down the aisles of the cemetery. The sky seemed to suit my mood: desolate, broken, by the grey tearing at the blue sky.

"Mommy, I'm tired," Mitchell murmured and I turned around to look at him in Christian's arms. His eyes were close to closing, his lips pink from the cold.

"We'll be home soon baby boy, okay?" I told him, kissing the top of his head and rustling his too neat hair. I didn't like the way my mother had slicked it down. It needed to be slightly messy. Might as well complete the spitting image of Mason.

"It's starting Alex," Max informed me, tapping my shoulder. He had had a major growth spurt over the past few years and now towered over me but was still nowhere as tall as Christian.

"Okay," I said, swallowing hard. My eyes looked up ahead, catching sight of the coffin. My breath caught in my throat and flames rose up in front of my eyes, the cemetery disappearing before me.

* * *

"_Mason!"_

_I ripped the word from my throat, sending it echoing throughout the house. I hurled down the stairs, tripping over my own feet in haste to find Mason. I found him through the smoke and clutter, Mitchell bundled up in his arms. He coughed heavily before handing me our son. Mitchell started crying but I didn't have time to comfort him, instead slipping my hand in Mason's. We ran, dodging the flames licking at our clothes. I pushed ahead as our grip broke and a beam behind me collapsed, trapping Mason on the other side. The blaze intensified, the heat pouring over my body._

_I screamed and the noise seemed to echo in the crumbling house. I couldn't get to him and holding Mitchell, I couldn't risk jumping through either. He stood apprehensively, eyeing off a way to get through but there was just no opening._

"_Take him and go, Alex, I'll find a way out."_

"_Mason-"_

"_I love you, now go!" he yelled._

_I turned with tears splayed across my face, heading for the only escape and never looked back._

* * *

The reverie broke and I was back in the cemetery, being held by my Mother and Father. The priest looked upon the throng of people and began to speak."We are here today to mourn the loss of Mason Grant Greyback. Mason was a husband, a father, a son, a friend, a brother, and he will be missed by all who knew him."

My husband, my friend, my son's father; he was everything to me.

And he was gone.

* * *

**Chase**

The mahogany wood coffin disappeared into the depths of the earth and I clenched my fist around the golden locket in my jeans pocket.

I may not have been able to save you Dad, I whispered inside, but I'll save Mitchell. I promise.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked from behind me as she manoeuvred her way through a bush. When she emerged, there was a twig in the midst of her dark brown ponytail. I plucked it out as I nodded. I had shed too many tears already, cried into my pillow at night praying I'd wake up and find him there. He'd wrap me up in a big bear hug. Mom would come in and pounce on the both of us and we'd laugh until our sides started hurting. But this was just a fantasy, one I'd given up on a long time ago.

I scanned the crowd of mourners until my eyes fell on a dark haired woman who looked no more than twenty-two, her smoky brown eyes brimming with tears. "There's my Mom," I told Lily, pointing, and she followed my finger until I saw a smile graze her face.

"She's so pretty."

"I know," I replied softly. But I thought she was still beautiful in my time as well. Age could never dim her.

"Is my Dad here?" she asked, craning her neck out from our hiding place. She didn't wait for an answer, spotting her father by my Mother's side. He didn't look much different than he had in my time. Maybe a few kilos lighter but still the same tall, hulking figure. "Oh, there he is."

We watched as the priest recited more prayers. Mom went to lay a flower down by Dad's headstone. When she returned, the small toddler in Grandma's arms reached out to grab her hand.

"Is that Mitchell?" Lily asked softly.

I nodded again, not taking my eyes off of my brother. The only images of him I had were as an adult and I had never seen him so young or innocent. He placed a tiny palm on Grandma's face and she smiled weakly at him.

"How many days until he gets kidnapped?" Lily asked curiously.

If my calculations were correct, in ten days, Mitchell would be in the hands of The Veneficus but I was here to make sure that never happened. It was the least I could do.

"Ten, but he won't this time. I'll stop it." I turned to Lily. "It'll be dangerous. If you want to go back, I'll send you back, before it's too late."

She smiled. "I'm not leaving. We're family. We don't turn our backs on each other."

I was too grateful to speak so I just hugged her again. Though I knew I was putting her in danger, it was good to have someone with me, because I didn't think I could do it alone.

"Where are you?" she suddenly asked, surveying the crowd again.

I chuckled quietly at her indignation. "Inside my Mom's belly." She peered even closer and I rolled my eyes. My mom was still as skinny as ever, probably only a few weeks. There was no way you could tell.

"Does she know you're in there?"

I shook my head. "I don't think so, not yet anyway."

Mom looked up and seemed to be staring blankly at nothing. That was, until I realised she was staring at _me._ Hidden in the bushes, peeping in on her husband's funeral.

Oh crap. This was so not good.

"Run," I urged Lily as I grabbed her hand, and together, we sprinted away.


	3. Chapter 2

**here u go...review, favourite, whatever u like :)**

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**Chapter 2**

**Alex**

With no regard for all of the people surrounding me, I took off into the bushes. I had no idea what I was chasing, I just knew that there had to be a reason that these two children were at Mason's funeral. I had been watching them for at least a couple of minutes and they were definitely watching me. And I had to know why.

I heard yells, urging me to go back. But I couldn't, something drawing me out of the cemetery. I weaved in and out of the bushes, stepping over tree trunks. But after a couple of minutes, I had to accept defeat. There was no one there. And there might never have been.

Whatever I had seen, even if it had been real, was gone. I heard footsteps quickly approaching but didn't turn around. I could tell by the heavy clunking that Justin had come to find me. I couldn't look at him though without seeing his face the way it was that night, streaked with soot and ash and tears. I couldn't look at him without feeling angry that he hadn't saved Mason.

"Mitchell's wondering where you are," he murmured. His words were calculated, knowing that nothing would convince me to go back and watch my future disappear under the ground more than my three year old son. But I still ignored him, staring off into the distance.

"You can't ignore me forever Alex," he said suddenly, his voice breaking slightly. "I'm – I'm so sorry that I – that I couldn't save him."

A huge lump rose in my throat. I wanted to tell him I knew that he was sorry. I wanted to tell him that I didn't blame him in the slightest but I couldn't. Because a part of me, however small, did blame him. And until I was sure that I no longer felt that, I couldn't face him.

Starting my trek back to the funeral site, I walked straight past him, catching only a glimpse of Justin's despairing face.

* * *

_I burst out of the front door, Mitchell bundled in my arms. The edges of my clothes were singed but Mitchell seemed to be unharmed. He was crying, his tonsils visible in the back of his mouth. My eyes were blurry from the smoke but I managed to find my phone in my pocket and call the first number I saw – Justin._

_"Justin, the house is on fire," I croaked as soon as he answered. I heard the line go dead and barely ten seconds later, he and Max flashed in front of me. I rushed towards them urgently. "Mason, he's – he's stuck inside. Help, help me."_

_Max tried to flash in but as he closed his eyes and squeezed them tight, nothing happened. "I- I can't get in. Something's blocking my magic."_

_I handed Mitchell to him and turned to Justin instead. "You have to save him," I yelled, gripping the front of Justin's shirt. In the background, Mitchell was still wailing as Max tried to calm him, bouncing him up and down frenetically._

_"Alex, I –" Justin stopped and turned back to the blazing house. Taking my hands off his shirt, he bullocked through the broken door and disappeared._

_I paced up and down, staring as the second floor of the house began to crumble. If Justin didn't get out soon...I could lose both of them._

_A few agonising long minutes later, Justin emerged, coughing and spluttering. His face was almost black, his clothes the same. He fell to his knees, holding his chest. I raced to him, forcing him to look at me. His green eyes bored sadly into mine._

_"I couldn't save him Alex. He was caught under a lot of rubble. I couldn't pull him out. I tried, Alex I tried."_

_I collapsed to the ground in a heap, crushed under the realisation of losing the one I loved most._

* * *

Everyone was staring at me.

Let them stare, I thought angrily. Let them talk all they want. I bet they have for years about the girl who got married and pregnant at 18. We'd be a topic of hot gossip now, the tragic story of a young single mother burying her husband, the victim of a mysterious fire that almost killed them all.

I'd never felt such a burning hate and it was only Mitchell's palm on my face as I scooped him back into my arms that calmed me down. He stared innocently at me, his grey-green eyes taken from Justin, and I hugged him tighter. He reminded me so much of Mason (except for the eyes) that it hurt. I didn't cry for the rest of the service; there didn't seem to be any more tears to shed.

After the service ended, we piled into two cars; Mitchell, Mom, Dad, Justin, Juliet, Max Harper, Zeke and I went back to the house I'd grown up in. I had a saucer of tea shoved in front of me as soon as we sat down but I just stared at it dully. I couldn't help shivering despite the warmth; any attempts to pick up my cup were considered failures, my hands shaking furiously.

Justin and Juliet put Mitchell to bed as soon as we got home; he'd finally crashed on the ride home, drooling onto his shirt. They laid him down in the spare room that Mom had turned into a nursery for when he stayed over.

Max and Dad were stretched out on the couch as was Christian who I didn't believe for a second, was paying any attention to the program on whatsoever.

Harper was sitting next to me and by her side was Zeke, who was dead silent; a first in all the time I'd known him.

Mom was absentmindedly folding clothes, looking worriedly over at me every few seconds.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay here tonight?" Mom asked as she took the untouched tea from in front of me and poured it down the sink.

I shook my head. "No, Christian and I are staying at the old apartment tonight."

"Really Alex, I think it's better if you stay-"

"Mom." She fell silent at that word, knowing better than to push me on today of all days.

Christian got up off the couch and came next to us, his face unreadable. "Maybe it's best. For Mitchell," he said, staring directly at me.

I was sick of everyone using that card on me but that seemed to know it would work.

"Fine, but you're not staying there either then. You can sleep in Justin's old room."

Mom didn't say anything and I guessed she was being nice to me. She hadn't been all too fond of Christian ever since catching him in my room all those years ago but if him staying here, meant I stayed here; she wasn't going to say a word.

"Fine," he answered.

Harper and Zeke left soon after as did Justin and Juliet. I kept forgetting Justin had moved out two years ago. I kind of wanted him to stay, have the whole family under one roof again but that was selfish of me. He had a whole other life now, getting his medical degree while earning a living to try to pay for the wedding he and Juliet were currently planning. Some day, he'd have the white picket fence and big house with kids running around. The kind of house Mason and I shared before it burnt down. Along with all the dreams I had for us.

Max headed upstairs to bed as well as my parents. I sat with Christian on the couch, watching TV, a mundane task just to get my mind off of everything.

"Time for bed," Christian said, some hours later.

I shook my head but he hauled me up. I didn't resist, letting him lug me along until I fell into my old bed. There were posters and photos tacked up on all the walls. It looked exactly the way I'd left it when I'd moved out.

My eyes fell on one of my favourite photographs of Mason and I. Taken outside the substation; it was on the day of our six month dating anniversary, over 5 years ago, from the time when we'd gotten back together after our temporary separation due to him being a wolf. I held the camera and grinned while Mason kissed my cheek, his eyes crinkled like they did when he smiled.

Before I could grab hold of myself, I was crying, practically wailing. Christian quickly climbed into bed and crushed me to him. I sobbed against his chest, choking back my loud sounds to keep Mitchell from waking. But too late, I heard a cry over the monitor on the bedside table followed by the shuffling of footsteps and a quiet, 'I got it' from my mother.

"I miss him so much," I whispered.

"I know. I know," he said as he rocked me back and forth until I gently fell asleep.

* * *

"Wake up love."

I opened my eyes and found myself staring into familiar brown eyes, specks of grey littered in them.

"Mason!" I lurched forward into his arms and felt him hold me. I pulled back and kissed him, forcing my mouth onto his. He replied just as eager and I felt his hot breath against mine. My hands moved to his arms, winding around his deceptively muscly forearms. Arms that felt too real, lips that melted against mine, relishing the familiar shape; this couldn't be a dream. It was just too real.

"Please tell me that I'm not dreaming," I whispered against his cheeks, running my hands across his chest. He was wearing a light blue sweater, one I had seen countless times

"I can't tell you that," he replied tentatively.

I groaned and flittered out of his grasp, realizing the location at which we found ourselves. We were in the hotel room where we first…..well you know. I remembered it so clearly, every detail. It was possibly one of the best days of my existence, barring the day he asked me to marry me, when we married and the day we welcomed Mitchell into the world. The best moments of my life all involved him.

"Don't be angry Alex," Mason pleaded, grazing my arm with his fingertips. This may be a dream but that doesn't mean this isn't really me."

"How?" I asked, turning back to him, my anger fading at the sight of him looking so sad and helpless.

"You learn a few things up there," he said, nodding upwards with a smile.

I wormed my way back into his arms and he held me again. He smelled the way I remembered him – wearing the aftershave Mitchell and I had given him for Christmas.

"I hate that you're gone. You're going to miss so much. Birthdays, Christmases, Mitchell-"

"I know." He looked like he was fighting back tears. I couldn't imagine how he must feel, knowing he would not be by his son's side as he grew up. Knowing we wouldn't grow old together...

"We were supposed to get our happy ending," I murmured against his chest.

"You still can," he murmured into my ear. I promptly slapped his side.

"Shut up," I replied and I swore I saw him smile. How he could ever think there would be anyone beside him ever was beyond me. How he could ever think that someone would ever be able to make my heart race ever again like he could.

He pulled away to face me, that faint smile no longer visible. Only solemness. "You have to be ready Alex."

"Ready for what?"

"For them. They're coming. They're coming for Mitchell."

"Who is? Who?" The image of him was fading slowly and I could tell this meant my impending return to reality. I struggled against it, not wanting to disappear back into a world where Mason no longer was.

"The ones who killed me."

The words echoed in my mind as real life reeled me back into its clutches. Without Mason.


End file.
